Chef Joseph Yun started cooking cicadas after experimenting with insects for an art project.He shared his experience with morning paper.
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Chef Joseph Yun started cooking cicadas after experimenting with insects for an art project.He shared his experience with morning paper.
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The cicadas are coming! And so are some new flavor profiles.
This spring, two baby bugs, the 13-year Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII, will emerge from the ground simultaneously across the eastern and southern parts of the United States. This is the first time since Thomas Jefferson became president that two offspring have been born at the same time.
But this isn’t the first time cicadas have appeared on the menu for chef Joseph Yun. “It originally started as cooking insects for an art project,” Yun says.
Cicada tempura is one of Joseph Yun’s favorite recipes.
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Cicada tempura is one of Joseph Yun’s favorite recipes.
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Mr. Yun is an advocate for the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development. He is also the founder of Brooklyn He Bugs, a group of edible insect ambassadors passionate about insect consumption, education, and climate awareness.
With trillions of cicadas expected to arrive this year, Yun is preparing to make delicious recipes such as cicada tempura and cicada kimchi. With the right ingredients and preparation, he says, the flavors aren’t all that unfamiliar.
Chef Joseph Yun says that with proper preparation and ingredients, the taste of a dish like semi-kimchi can become more approachable.
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“If you think about it, they’ve been living underground for 13 or 17 years slowly eating the xylem of plants and trees. So they have really beautiful plant qualities and nutty qualities as well. And when you fry them in oil, they become ‘so delicious and special,”’ Yun says.
Earth-friendly food solutions
Cicada spring salad
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Cicada spring salad
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Yun is particularly interested in how edible insects can be reimagined as a primary food source. And he wonders, “How can we sustainably feed the world’s population in 2050?”
This kind of thinking can be especially true in areas suffering from food insecurity, such as Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza. He says 80% of the world’s countries already consume insects, so the next step is simply to increase production.
“What we’re talking about is insect rearing and breeding, mass farming of insects to produce them and make them available to address food security,” Yun says.
Yun says edible insects like cicadas are an abundant and viable resource.
“It requires far fewer resources when you consider the amount of water, feed, and land. And it produces far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the corresponding livestock that we traditionally use today.” It will be less.”
A sustainable solution, but perhaps not very appetizing for some.
Persuasion of edible insects
Yun challenges perception by finding new ways to incorporate insects into everyday meals. For example, he suggests adding cricket powder to classic lasagna for an extra boost of flavor. Yun says that whether the insects are visible or hidden in the food he serves, most people are pleasantly surprised by the taste.
“They don’t know what insects taste like, so they expect to be disgusted in some way. And when they realize that, it’s like a lightbulb goes on. I thought, “Oh my god, this tastes like food.” It’s delicious,” Yun says.
If you want to try edible insect food in your own kitchen, Yun recommends foraging in an environment free of pesticides and chemicals, and washing and freezing your cicadas before using them in recipes.
For adventurous cooks, Yun advises cooking slowly to check for allergies to some types of arthropod shells or the insects themselves. Shellfish allergies can also affect the culinary world.
“I have a dear friend who is allergic only to mealworms,” Yun says. “He eats all the other insects I cook, but not mealworms.”
No trials, no fear
Want to try new flavors? Yoon writes recipes for the website Atlas Obscura and publications such as: explorer journal.
Nymph caramel chocolate popcorn
material
1 cup cicada nymph
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus more to drizzle over popcorn
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanuts
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Valrhona Guanaja chocolate)
Salt (appropriate amount)
Instructions
1. If you have just harvested your nymphs, be sure to wash them before freezing them. After freezing overnight, blanch the pre-washed nymphs for 30 seconds and set aside to dry.
2. Place the popcorn kernels and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, making sure each kernel is coated with oil. Once the kernels have completely popped, transfer them to a bowl and add the melted butter and a pinch of salt.
3. In a separate saucepan, add butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture is fully combined, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil (or for a few minutes) to 255 degrees Fahrenheit, and add the vanilla and baking soda. Be careful as the baking soda will foam and expand. Stir everything together, add nymphs and peanuts and mix.
4. Pour the caramel and nymph mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Spread everything out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven at 225-250°F for 60-90 minutes or until dry.
5. Melt the chocolate pieces in a double boiler over medium heat.
6. Remove the popcorn from the oven and pour over the chocolate. Allow to cool completely before serving.
